This invention relates to the art of orthopedics, and more particularly to an ankle brace.
Prior inventors have developed a number of braces in the form of straps or webs intended to be wound about the ankle in one way or another. The free end or ends of the material are often secured by fasteners such as “Velcro” (generically: hook and loop fasteners) so that the brace remains tight and secure about the ankle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,746, Castiglia described an ankle wrap in the form of an elongated panel having Velcro-type fasteners along its length. The panel was made of an elastic material, specifically intended to brace the ankle joint without restricting walking and running movements.
Baker, in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,000, disclosed an ankle support having an inelastic body which lay behind the heel, but the body was secured to the foot by distinct elastic straps which were interconnected after they had been wrapped around the foot.
The Wise U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,751, has a substantially inelastic, flexible strap with Velcro fasteners and a “tongue”. The strap loops around the ankle but the tongue must be secured to the lower leg, above the ankle, with adhesive tape or a “fastened gauntlet or collar”. This brace is not a figure-eight type and requires some type of auxiliary attachment to the lower leg, either adhesive tape or a second gauntlet or collar.
An ankle support having non-stretch fabric components is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,404, but the construction is complex, including a foam under liner and numerous parts requiring assembly by sewing. U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,450 discloses a brace made of canvas, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,228, includes components of “limited elasticity”. Neither, however, is a figure-eight type brace.
Prior wrapped braces of the figure-eight type are uniformly elastic, probably on the theory that elasticity is necessary to permit movement of the ankle, and for comfort. I have found, however, that better support is provided by such an ankle brace made of a substantially inelastic material, and that one can achieve acceptable levels of comfort with an inelastic yet flexible web wrapped in a figure-eight configuration about the foot and ankle. This ankle brace can be worn directly on the foot and ankle, or over a normal stocking for more comfort and equal support